Oklahoma City installation lights up to mark 128 patient milestones

Twelve-eight patients have celebrated medical milestones at Hearts for Hearing in Oklahoma City since March 3, according to the organization. Each celebration triggers a visual and audio display in the facility’s new glass tower. The first activation occurred on March 3, and the count reached 128 by October 8.

The centerpiece is a 42-foot sculpture suspended in the lobby. It consists of 26 circular elements arranged to mimic the waveform of the phrase “Celebration of Sound.” When a patient reaches a goal, such as the activation of hearing technology, the structure illuminates and plays a short musical motif. The piece is housed in a 47-foot glass tower that faces Lake Hefner Parkway.

Officials at the organization estimate that roughly 100,000 vehicles pass the site every day. The tower’s transparent design allows drivers to see the interior activity. This visibility serves as a public reminder of hearing health for the community while marking individual progress for patients inside.

Previously, activation days for cochlear implants or other devices were private clinical appointments. Now, staff, families, and patients often gather beneath the sculpture for a small reception. They share refreshments while the artwork lights up. The display is accompanied by a jingle composed by Patty Drummond, a Grammy-winning composer.

Hearts for Hearing added 30,800 square feet to its Oklahoma City campus as part of the Celebration of Sound expansion. The new space increases clinical capacity and research options. The project received partial funding through American Rescue Plan Act dollars. The organization operates sites in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Norman, and runs a mobile clinic to serve patients statewide.

The group began in 2003 with a focus on helping children obtain hearing aids. Last year, the organization reported serving approximately 50,000 Oklahomans. Services include audiology, speech-language support, and technology assistance. A specific program provides first hearing aids at no cost to infants born deaf to support early language development.

The organization is also promoting the Know Your Hearing Number initiative. This program assigns a number to each ear representing the softest speech sounds a person can detect. Higher numbers indicate greater difficulty hearing speech in noisy environments. The metric corresponds to the four-frequency pure tone average, a standard audiologic measure.

Hearts for Hearing states that the screening takes between five and seven minutes. The result provides a baseline for tracking hearing changes over time or determining the need for further evaluation. The sculpture and the number initiative operate as separate components of the organization’s outreach strategy.